Gilbey House
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The building as seen from the main approach down Oval Road. The projecting bay marks the main entrance and provides an Architectural stop
Modernist administrative block located on a corner site between cobbled streets serving an adjacent railway goods yard carrying heavy traffic
Gilbey House was originally built as an administrative building for whisky and wine merchants W & A Gilbey.
The aim of the design was to eliminate as much noise as possible. The help achieve this, the whole building is sealed with windows opened for cleaning only. The windows areas were reduced as far as possible without loss of light, and ceilings were treated with acoustic absorbent plaster.
The building has a distinct modernist feel to it with a brown glazed faience on the ground level façade and white painted reinforced concrete structure on the upper levels. Giant sheet metal lettering spells out ‘Gilbey’ with a letter for each upper floor adorned on the Oval Road façade.
The spatial arrangements see the staircase, lift and cloakrooms placed in the ‘dead’ space in the corners, and vertical services placed centrally. Service space is found on the ground level, Office space is situated on the central levels, and senior rooms including the board room and Directors Restaurant and on the top floor.
Data
- Completed: 1937
- Sector: Office
- Address: Gilbey House, 38 Jamestown Road, London, NW1 7BY, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Serge Chermayeff
- Project architect: Serge Chermayeff
- Client: Messrs. W. & A. Gilbey Limited
